Carrie Bernans was left critically injured after a hit-and-run in New York City.
The 29-year-old actress and stuntwoman who has been featured in The Color Purple and Black Panther has been hospitalized with serious injuries after a driver crashing into an outdoor dining area at Chirp restaurant at 1:30 a.m. on Monday (January 1), her rep told People.
The new mother suffered several broken bones and is currently in a stable condition in the hospital. Her child was not present at the time of the crash, via the rep.
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Officers were informed of a physical assault involving the 44-year-old male driver of a black Mercedes and a 34-year-old female passenger in the area of 33rd Street and 6th Avenue, police told People.
“Officers on foot attempted to de-escalate the situation and ordered the male operator of the vehicle to put the vehicle into park. The male failed to obey the officers’ orders and fled westbound on 33rd Street before making a right turn onto 7th Avenue counter flow to traffic. The Mercedes then turned onto westbound West 34th Street where he mounted the sidewalk and began traveling westbound. The male then struck a food cart and two 39-year-old female pedestrians, a 31-year-old female pedestrian, and a 29-year-old female pedestrian,” the statement continues.
Two officers were also injured in the incident, along with the passenger of the Mercedes, after the driver “mounted the curb onto the sidewalk again” before striking “two unoccupied parked vehicles and a 2022 Toyota Camry in the roadway.”
“Officers were then able to remove the operator and place him into custody,” police said.
The injured pedestrians were transported to NYC Health & Hospitals/Bellevue, along with the passenger, who is in stable condition, via the release. The officers were sent to a local hospital and are also in stable condition. An investigation is currently ongoing.
The driver is currently in Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, via CBS News.
The stuntwoman’s mother Patricia Lee shared graphic photos and details on social media, writing: “She’s still in so much pain and can’t answer calls at this time, but appreciate the messages. This was a traumatic incident. Please keep Carrie in your thoughts and prayers. She’s in so much pain but healing. It ended up knocking her unconscious and pended her under the stand. She was under it unaware of what was happening. She has a few broken bones, fractures, & chipped teeth but thanking God that she’s alive … Police caught him shortly after and arrested him. Amidst the chaos of the New Year’s incident, she’s holding onto an immense sense of gratitude for life itself.”
“This setback hasn’t deterred her belief that something remarkable is still being crafted by God. Despite the injuries sustained in the collision caused by a hit-and-run in NYC, she’s filled with hope and faith in the unfolding of a beautiful new chapter. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she navigates this path toward recovery and new beginnings,” her mother added, saying she completed surgery.
We are thinking of Carrie Bernans in her continued recovery.
Find out more about the original storyline for the Black Panther sequel.